PROFILE-Jenny Allen

HER marriage to the general manager of a five-star international hotel chain has led Jenny Allen to all parts of the globe.

She says that, during her many years on the move, she has often been overwhelmed by societies living in squalor, yet it has shaped her outlook on life and made her a flexible person better prepared to cope with life's challenges.

"I've lived in lots of luxury hotels in third world places all over, and a motivating factor for me to get involved with the community has been that if we are living in a five-star hotel in Asia and are really getting looked after, I always wanted to help other people less fortunate," Ms Allen told WA Business News.

"On a personal level, travelling can only ever enlarge you and can do wonderful things for your life skills; you just keep growing as a person.

"You tend to learn a lot about different things about yourself, about how you cope with different cultures, living in third world countries, how to cope with the issues that are there.

"From a business point of view as well, the life skills that you pick up I think are invaluable."

The chief executive of not-for-profit organisation, Youth Focus, has lived in all manner of societies and cultures, from the Philippines to remote communities such as Uluru. She has led Aboriginal art tours in hotels, worked at local schools in the office, and with indigenous communities.

"So I was gaining insight in things like art and culture, living in an area as isolated as you get in the world, probably, and it was tremendous in getting me towards what I do now," Ms Allen says.

"In Manila I worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs, but in doing so I became very involved fundraising for a foundation which was looking after young boys on the street.

"So my involvement in the Department of Foreign Affairs was probably the most interesting in my life, and yet I got home at night to a five-star hotel and lived in the presidential suite.

"And during the day I would visit Australians being held in prison.

"I think it probably pushed me more into philanthropy; and as the wife of the general manager of a global hotel and always moving, you are often asked to become involved in those things in some ways.

"I guess I've always had a philanthropic part of me, but that enabled me to do all sorts of things that I found really, really life changing.

"I was very appreciative of what I had, appreciative of what our kids had, and interestingly enough I think, I was always sensible enough in the way I dealt with going from living in a five-star hotel with all sorts of help around me, to walking into third-world prisons, which I probably couldn't even describe to you.

"I would go in gum boots, because often I had to wade into the prison if it was the wet season, and then come back to a luxury hotel; that is like going from A to Z on a scale of life.

"The first prison I went into as an officer for the Department of Foreign Affairs had a refuse pile which was probably 12-feet high and on top of it was a dead body.

"But that's where you are and that's where you are living; you kind of learn to accept you can't always change everything, but you can help in making changes."

Change is nothing knew to Ms Allen, who says learning to integrate into the environment in which you're living is vital.

"Otherwise many people wouldn't survive," she says.

An emotional Ms Allen says both her late parents were massive influences on her life, giving her the skills to survive.

"My dad was a very outgoing person and really liked people, whereas my mum was very smart and very good as a mentor," she says.

These days, while travel often involves visiting her three children in the eastern states or relaxing at her beach house in the South West, Ms Allen remains busier than ever as the head of Youth Focus.

"But both my husband and I lead very busy lives so sometimes I'm my husband's handbag and sometimes he's my handbag," she says.

"We very much work in unison, working together. In our married life it's always been a bit like that.

"I've always made a point of not working in the hotel [with my husband] and having other interests outside of the hotel because big hotels can swallow you up and eat you and they are like small cities.

"So if you're both involved it's all you can ever talk about.

"So the reason I was attracted to Youth Focus is I really love children and young people, I wanted to be part of the community helping to eliminate youth suicide and self-harm and also depression.

"It's why I've been here for so long. I'm in my 10th year and it's been quite a journey over that length of time and we still journey on to become bigger and better."

Why did you get involved in Youth Focus?

Because I thought I could be part of the community, helping to eliminate youth suicide, self-harm and the often awful issues young people and families deal with.

How do you alleviate stress?

I look at stress as distress. I like to walk, play golf and go to our beach house as often as possible to unwind with my husband and daughter.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?


I always thought it was dad, but I have realised in losing my very elderly mum, that it was she who always gave very wise advice. Also, my husband certainly taught me to market, sell and network.

Who inspires you?

Al Gore. It's humbling that in this day and age there is still so much good being done by people who care and give their time freely.

What has been the worst advice anyone has given you that you followed through on?

To buy a piece of property that I felt was not a good investment (and I still went through with it). It inevitably failed and cost us money.

What do you hate most about travelling?

Airports and fighting the queues and baggage handling.

Favourite destination?

Probably New York because it is alive, it is safe and you feel a great sense of euphoria - for me it has changed so much over the past 20 years, it is exciting and if you like shows, it is the best.